Observe life at its best, listen to life’s songs, embrace life’s bounties, breathe the breath of life and savor life to its fullest!

The Next Big Thing is a series of blog posts where authors talk about their work using the same ten questions. At the end of the blog we tag other authors who will do the same thing a week later. So not only do you get to find out more about my book but you also will discover some other interesting writers. The wonderful Taylor Fulks tagged me. Taylor’s first book, My Prison Without Bars, was just released on December 17, 2012.

“Taylor Evan Fulks is a talented wordsmith, able to conjure up the hideous experiences with remarkable clarity and emotion. She writes from the heart, and the agony of real experience lends authenticity to her riveting descriptions.”– Reviewed by Fiona I. for Readers Favorite. Awarded 5 stars.

Thank you, Taylor, for giving me the opportunity to introduce my latest book, which is currently available at Tate Publishing and will be officially released on January 22, 2013.

1. What is the working title of your next book?

While there are actually two other books in progress, catnip of life and Reminiscent of Chocolate, I would like to introduce Awakenings from Then ’til Now. It is in its final stages awaiting official release in January, 2013.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?:

There is a need for everyone to make connections within whisperings of the past to the present day on into the future. Each of us is not an isolated individual but a thread binding together with countless other threads to create a rich and colorful tapestry of life. From the far reaches of America’s past, we can all, in some way or another, connect to someone who set foot upon America’s soil looking for a land of promise. It is through laughter and tears that the yesterdays of centuries past paved the way for today’s future.

There is also an important need for us to support our military. Since history is plagued with war after war after war it is only befitting that this book be dedicated to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Therefore, this book is dedicated to those who laid the foundation and established the platform for our American freedom: those who have served in the past, presently serve, or will serve our military forces in the future. A profound appreciation is extended for the sacrifice of these brave men and women who left or will leave their homes and family to ensure America’s freedom endures.

A contribution from each book sale goes to benefit the Wounded Warrior Program and/or Veterans of Foreign Wars. Its purpose is not for advertisement or to gain endorsement but solely in support of our military forces.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Historical poetry

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

This book is poetically written so the book itself would not lend itself to movie production. However, there are many parts of the book that have already been successfully produced as movies or television documentaries.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Embrace the past, Empower the present, Enrich the future (Not a sentence but definitely highlights the purpose for the writing)

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

My publisher is Tate Publishing. The book is due to be released in January 2013.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

That is truly hard to pinpoint. The idea initially came when writing my first book, Echoes, in 2004. I actually outlined five books for the volume. After Echoes, Remembering was published in 2009. The third was to be Step Back in Time, which later became Awakenings. I would venture to say from the time the first outline was drafted for Awakenings to its final manuscript would be approximately a year and a half to two years. Don’t hold me to that explicitly! All writers know of the interruption after interruption that sometimes delays a project’s completion.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

My love for America and the sadness in seeing her become less than she is meant to be, the lack of knowledge of her citizens concerning her establishment, the historical events that helped shape our nation

10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

If you want to know more about the hardships endured in the founding of America and establishing her freedom but do not want to resort to the informational text of a history book, then this is the book for you.

If you want to know more about ‘from whence you came’ with a better understanding of your ancestry, then this is definitely the book to read.

If you want to experience the sacrifices, feel the emotion, relish in the joys and sorrows from the past in order for you to enjoy the freedoms America has to offer today, then do not miss reading this book.

If you want to make a personal connection to past events, then not only read this book but engage in the opportunities within the text for personal journal reflections.

After all, America is your country, this is her story!

So that’s it for me. If you want to discover some other great writers, check these out:

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It is such an honor to have become a part of a dynamic group of authors who formed a collaborative mission to meet the world through writing: books, video clips, articles, book trailers, blogs, poems, and an assortment of messages. Each author brings a unique collage of expertise within a variety of genres.

With the holiday season right before us, remember, books make great Christmas gifts – fabulous stocking stuffers! Yet keep foremost in mind that a book is a terrific gift for ANY occasion!

When time permits, I invite you to peruse selections of your choice and/or fancy. You will go away amazed at the abundance of selections and information available. So, without further ado – click on this link http://pinterest.com/twittergroup/ and go shopping!

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How many of you ‘LIVE the book’you are reading? By that, I mean feel like you become part of the scene, a member of the family, the main character, the villian or the victim? The written word has a way of sucking you in, dragging you down or lifting you up dependent upon the nature and the purpose of the writing. You laugh, you cry, you fuss, you cuss (sometimes, admit it), you love, you hate, you question, you wonder why but you don’t put the book down.

The best of the best hook you from the start, dangle you in suspense and
lead you on a journey never to be forgotten.

What have you read lately that pulled at your heart strings or left you hanging by a thread wanting to know when the sequel will be out?

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Have you ever experienced sleepness nights where you are caught between dreams and reality? Your mind is spinning as thoughts weave in and out filling the crevices of your mind.

Have you ever thought about writing being a curse, as well as a gift? Recently I was contacted by a fellow writer, Ron Lemco. Ron has published a compelling book, Rest Stop, that is scary in a sense because it could happen in real life – in fact, it DID happen. While the language is rough, the way difficult, the result frightening, the way I look at it, it’s life! Reading his book left me with the impression that I might not want to take advantage of the convenient ‘rest stop’ on my next vacation.

He shared with me a writing that definitely got me thinking about the writer’s world being both, a gift and a curse.

THE WRITERS’ CURSE
by Ron Lemco

A thought about what a person is writing enters into his head. It becomes a vision and then, like magic, he begins to see a dialog. He is trying to sleep but words are escalating taking control.

Jumping from his bed he writes notes he needs to contain. All too often an image is lost and recollection is not the same. Notes no longer satisfy the thoughts that must be transposed.

After a fix here, a fix there, he climbs back in bed. . . One thousand words later.